tloo H 6 P E coMI'ARED To AN A ~ C H b R. Book IV: Fir.ft; The Love of God is a fure Ground of the Saint's Hope. I have loved ihcewith an werla.fting Love, &c. ]er. xxxi. 3· If his Children forfake nzy Law, and walk not in my J udgments; if the)' break my Statutes, and kap not ilt)' Comm<~ndments: 'Then rJJi/1 I vifit their 7·ran.fkre.f!ions with the Rod, nnd their Iniquity with Stripes. Nevcrthelefs; tn)' Lo·ving-kindncjs will I not utterly take from bim, norfuffer my Fa1thfulnejs to fail: My Co.vmant will I not brMk, nor alter the 'Thing which is gone out of my Lips, Pfal. lxxxix. 30, 31, 32, 33· 'The Lord thy God in ih~ Mid.ft of the'e is might)', he willJave., be will rejoice over /bee with Joy, he will re}/ in his Love, he wilt joy over thee with finging; Zeph. iii. 17. I am perfuaded, that neither Death, nor Life, nor Angels, nor Prin- -iipalities, nor Powers, nor 2hings prefent, tior 'Things to come, mr Height; nor Depth, nor any other Creature, _/hall be able to Jeparale us from the Love of God, which is in Chri.ft ]efus our Lord, Rom. vii i. 38, 39: If the Love of God be from everlafling to everla1\ing to them that fear him ;. if he reft in his Love; if he will not remove his Loving-lcindhefs from them, notwithftanding their Sins and Infirmities; if notHing can feparate tliem from 1 he Love of God, wliich is in Chrift J efus our Lord : Then the Hope that Believers have in God is both fure and ftedfaft; Secondlv ; God hath chofen, ekfted, and ptedeftin ated Beli~vers in Chrift tJnta eternal L ife. For r;;hom he did foreknow, he alfo did predeftinate, to be conforined to the Image of his Son. Moreover, whom he did predejlinate, them he alfo called; and whom he called, them he alfo ju.ftified ; and whom he jujlified, them he alfo glorified; Rom. viii. 29, 30. The fame l'afons that are predeftinated, are called; and the very fame that are called, are jul\ified; and the very fame who are j utllfied, are, or fh:ill lie glonfied : Therefore the Hope that Believers have, is both fure and ftedfalt. 'Thh·dly; Ch rift's Death is a fure Ground of Hope. Who is he that condemneth? It is Chri.ft that died. I lay down my Life for my Sheep. Chrift in an efpecial Manner laid down his Life for thofe which the Father gave to him, with an abfolute Purp0fe and Intention eternally to fave them; and he !hall not lofe his Purchafe, nor mifs of the Merit of his moft precious Blood: Therefo re the Saint's Hope is both fure and il:edfaft. Fourthly; Chrift's Refurreftion is a fure Ground of TI6pe. Chr.jl rofe again froni the Dead, to jujlify all thofe wbo tru6• believe in him. Who }hall condomn? Is it Ch'iJI lhat died, yea, rather that is rifm again.----lVho <va; delivered fer cow (~fFences, and waJ raifed again for our ]ujlification, Rom. viii. 34· Thus Chrift, bY. his Kefurrcc, ion, doth aCtually j uftify all that believe in him; therefore the Saim's Hope i> bdth fure and ftedfaft. Fifthly; The lnterceffion of Chrift is a fure Ground of Hope. 11/ha is he ihat con• demneth ? It is Chri.ft that died, )'ea, rather that is rifen again, wbo is even at the Right– hand of God, who alfo maketh InUrce.f/ion for us, lleb. vii. 25. Seei;;g he ever liveth to make Interce.f/ion for us. Father, 1will that thofe alfo whom thou ha.ft given me, be with me where I am, &c. John xvii. 24. I ha·ve prayed for thee, thM thy Faith fail not, Luke xxii. 32. t John ii. r. 2. If any Man fin, we ha·ve an Advocate witb tht Father, Jefus Chri.ft the Rigbteom. Chrift prays the Father, that all his Children may be kept from falling, that their Faith fail not, that they may have their Sins pardoned, · and may be where he is, &c. And he is always heard and anfwered by th~ Father: I know thou hearejl me always. Therefore the Saint's Hope is both fure and 1!ed ~·aft; Sixth!)·; The Covenant of Grace is a fure Ground of Hope. Although my Houfi be not fo with God,yet he bath made with me an everlajling Covmant, ordered in a!! 'Things, andJure; for this is all my Salvation, and Difrre, though he make it not to grow, 2 Sam, xxiii. 5· For the Mountaim }hall depart, and the Hills be removed; but my Kindneft jbalt not depart from thee, neither _/hall tbe Covenant of my Peace be removed, faith the Lord that bath mtrcy upon tbee, /(a. liv. ro. The Covenant flands in Chrift, it was made in him, he undertook tO perform the Conditions of it by his Spirit, in behalf of all true Believers, as their Surety. We fland not in Chrift in the new Covenanr, as we ftood in Adam, in the Old. Admn was a Perfon, that might, or might not fland, it was in JJis own power tO f\and or fall ; but the Covenant ot Grace is more firm and fure in many Rcfpefts, efpecially in regard of the Excellency, Power, Ability, and Immutability of Jtfus Chrift, who, as the fccond Adam, and publick Perfon, hath undertaken for all his Seed. If our ftanding was in the new Covenant, as Adam's wa~ in the Old, doubrlefs we lhould not conrinue in our Stedf1ftnefs one Moment; for ;r he was overcome by Satan, that h"d no Evil or depraved Nature in him, for Satan to ' - -f•ften
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